1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reactor. The “reactor” is a passive element using a coil, and is also referred to as an “inductor.”
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, a hybrid car and an electric vehicle have been put to practical use in earnest and widely spread. Since the hybrid car and the electric vehicle employ a motor as a driving source, an electric circuit for the motor often includes a reactor. The reactor is typically used in a convertor, circuit for increasing and decreasing a voltage. A main body of the reactor is configured such that a winding (a coil) is wound around a core. Ferrite is often used as the core.
In order to insulate the coil from its vicinal area, the coil may be entirely (or partially) molded by resin. Such a reactor is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-060053 (JP2012-060053 A) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-1008422 (JP2011-1008422 A). A mold is often manufactured by injection molding of resin so as to adhere to the coil.
The reactors described in JP2012-060053 A and JP 2011-1008422 A do not include a bobbin, but some reactors employ a bobbin. The bobbin is provided with a flange on either side of a winding range of a winding. One of the flanges is provided with a slit for drawing a lead portion of a coil. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-054937 (JP2009-054937 A) describes a bobbin including such a flange equipped with a slit. Note that the lead portion indicates that part of the winding extending from an end of the coil which corresponds to a terminal of the coil.